The Well-being Classroom

#31 How can Leaders Maintain an Intentional Calm? With Patrick Cozier

How can we move beyond the constant cycle of "fighting fires" and instead lead with a sense of intentional, focused calm?
Today, I’m joined by Patrick Cozier, a Headteacher at a secondary school in London. With nearly 20 years of experience in headship and a career spanning roles from classroom teaching to senior leadership, Patrick is a respected mentor, speaker, and the author of the highly acclaimed book, Calm Leadership.
In this episode, we dive deep into the core principles of leading with calm. We explore the "affirmative rationale" for building self-belief, the importance of dismantling the "success pedestal", and why radical honesty—choosing the "worst truth" over the "best lie"—is a leader’s most powerful tool for building trust. We also discuss practical strategies for managing overwhelm and much more!
Link to buy book: https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Leadership-Staying-grounded-staying/dp/178583746X
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#30 How Does Formative Assessment Fuel Adaptive Teaching? With Rajaa Laghrissi

How could we move beyond planning lessons for the "middle" and instead use assessment as a dynamic tool to meet every learner's needs in real-time?
Today, I’m joined by Rajaa Laghrissi, an experienced English language teacher originally from Morocco and currently based in the UAE. With over 20 years of experience in secondary education, Rajaa is an innovative educator and a PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics. She is deeply passionate about adaptive teaching, student engagement, and developing students’ critical thinking and communication skills.
This episode concludes our special mini-series on adaptive teaching by focusing on what Rajaa describes as the "fuel" of the entire process: Formative Assessment. We dive deep into the Assessment for Learning (AfL) mindset, exploring how it acts as a continuous cycle of checking for understanding that allows teachers to "pivot" instruction the moment a gap is identified—and much more!

#29 Is Discomfort the Missing Piece in Education? With Alejandro Zepeda

How can we move beyond "sanitizing" the student experience and instead build the genuine resilience required to navigate a complex and often isolating digital world?
Today, I’m joined by Alejandro Zepeda, a distinguished educational leader with a global career spanning more than 25 years. Alejandro has served in senior leadership and principal roles across Mexico, Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Kazakhstan, bringing a deep international perspective to school culture and student development. For over two decades, he has also been a prominent consultant and leader for the International Baccalaureate, specializing in program evaluation and systemic teacher training.
In this episode, we explore the evolving definition of school well-being and the critical "resilience gap" facing students today. We dive into the shift from physical to emotional safety, the impact of technology as a tool for social avoidance, the vital importance of being a "safest referent" for every learner, and much more.

#28 What is the Root of Resistance? With Becca Silver

How can school leaders move past the frustration of "pushback" and instead tap into the genuine motivation and mindset of every educator on their team?
Today, I’m joined by Becca Silver, a Resistance Specialist and Instructional Coach who brings a high-energy, transformational approach to leadership development. A former educator and executive coach, Becca is the founder of The Whole Educator and the creator of the Human Centered Academy. Her work is dedicated to fostering teacher buy-in, reducing resistance to change, and—crucially—increasing teacher retention in an increasingly demanding profession.
Becca specializes in the "human" side of school improvement, helping leaders impact the underlying motivations that drive teacher effectiveness and resilience. In this episode, we dive into her Catalyst Mindsets framework—exploring the five key beliefs of ownership, belonging, growth, success, and values—, and much more!
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Here is more information, if you would like to get in touch with Becca:
Website
Coaching the Whole Educator Podcast
LinkedIn
The Resistance Playbook
Sign up for the newsletter to get notified when Becca’s upcoming book "The Resistance Solution: Why Educators Resist Change and What They Need Instead" gets released!

#27 How Does Scaffolding Support Adaptive Teaching? With Rachel Ball

How can we move away from pre-determining student potential and instead design "challenge-first" learning that is accessible to everyone?
 
Today, I’m joined by Rachel Ball, a Professional Development Specialist at Steplab and a former Assistant Principal for Teaching, Learning, and CPD. With 22 years of experience as a passionate History teacher and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers, Rachel is an international speaker and a co-editor of What is History Teaching, Now? (2023). She is also the co-author of the recent release, The Scaffolding Effect (2025), part of the Teacher CPD Academy series.
This episode continues our special mini-series focused on the power of Adaptive Teaching. We’ll dive into the nuances of effective scaffolding, exploring how to move beyond rigid worksheets toward responsive strategies—like teacher modeling and strategic checks for understanding—that maintain high aspirations for every learner in the classroom.
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.
Visit StepLab: https://steplab.co/global/
 

#26 Hard Questions or Quality Questions? With Brenda Martin

How can we move beyond the dread of "hard conversations" and instead use every interaction as an opportunity to build relational trust?
Today, I’m joined by Brenda Martin, a distinguished educational leader whose career spans over three decades of transformative impact. Brenda brings a wealth of experience as a principal in both New Zealand and international settings, where she has been recognized as a visionary innovator and a champion of collaborative leadership.She is particularly known for her resilience in leading a startup school in China through the complexities of a global pandemic, where she fostered a culture of transparency and excellence during incredibly challenging times.
In this episode, we explore the essential shift from "hard" to "quality" conversations. We dive into the "Ladder of Inference," the power of being both strong and curious, the importance of building resilience in leadership, and much more.
#QualityConversations #RelationalTrust #CrucialConversations #EffectiveCommunication #PsychologicalSafety #EducationalLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #SchoolCulture #GrowthMindset #TheWellbeingClassroom

#25 How Can Schools be Inclusive by Design? With Lori Boll

 
How can we shift the focus in our schools from simply following a curriculum to truly championing the inclusion of every neurodivergent and disabled individual?
Today I am joined by Lori Boll, the Executive Director of SENIA International. Lori has over twenty-five years of teaching experience across the globe, from Riyadh to Bangkok, and has been a driving force in establishing programs for students with higher support needs. Her commitment to this work is deeply personal, inspired by her son’s diagnosis in 2003, and it led her to co-author a book on building collective efficacy within special education teams.
In this conversation, we trace the history of SENIA from its start in Beijing over twenty years ago to its current status as a global non-profit. Lori explains the disability inclusion standards she helped create and the five key domains schools can use to audit their own practices, ranging from leadership and facilities to identification and parent relationships . We also discuss how to address staff fears by sharing stories that shift heartsets and why Universal Design for Learning is the essential starting point for any leader looking to integrate inclusion authentically.
SENIA Website: https://www.seniainternational.org/

#24 What Do Students Really Want From Their Teachers? With Xavier Woods

Today, I’m joined by Xavier Woods, an educator with nearly 25 years of experience across the U.S. and the Middle East. A two-time Teacher of the Year in Metro Atlanta, Xavier was recently selected for the America’s Favorite Teacher 2026 competition. Beyond the classroom, he is a painter, music artist, and author of The Powerful Book of Positively Powerful Poems, with his new book, Keep God 1st and Go to Therapy, arriving soon.
In a special departure from our usual format, we are bringing the students themselves directly to the microphone. Together, we dive into Xavier’s "Learning Studio" to explore the heartbeat of the modern classroom. We’ll hint at the impact of teacher "stage presence," the power of flexible environment choices, the "well-being wizardry" required to help every learner thrive, and much more.
Note: Student participation in this episode was conducted with full parental consent and in accordance with professional privacy and safeguarding protocols.
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.

#23 How Can Leaders be More Proactive in Improving Outcomes? With Chad Ransom

How can school leaders bridge the gap between high-level research and the daily reality of the classroom to drive sustainable improvement?
Today, I am joined by Chad Ransom, the co-founder of Compass EDvantage and a specialist in school improvement with a PhD in Educational Leadership. Chad has consulted with over 150 school districts across the US and internationally, helping schools move from "underperforming" status to achieving prestigious National Blue Ribbon recognition. A former principal and national faculty member for ASCD, he has dedicated his career to strengthening leadership capacity and improving outcomes for all students, with a particular expertise in supporting multilingual learners.
In this episode, we explore the Adult MTSS framework for professional development and the critical role of collective efficacy in successful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). We’ll discuss why the "name" of an initiative often travels better than the "practice" and how leaders can become "chief reminding officers" to help their teams see the evidence of their success.
To learn more about the good work of Chad Ransom and Compass EDvantage, visit the website: www.compassEDvantage.com
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.

#22 Do Your Students Know How to Learn? With Liz Keable

How can we empower every student to move beyond simply following instructions and instead take true ownership of their own learning journey?
 
Today, I’m joined by Liz Keable, a former high school biology teacher and independent success coach. Liz is an expert in the field of metacognition, having supported hundreds of students—including those facing significant learning barriers—to achieve academic progress through profound changes in their thinking. Currently, she shares her insights through a weekly LinkedIn newsletter followed by over 10,000 educators and is in the process of writing a book on transforming lives through these strategies.
This episode is the second in our mini-series on adaptive teaching. We’ll be taking a deep dive into metacognition, moving past the abstract definition of "thinking about thinking" to explore how we can naturalize these habits in the classroom to create independent, resilient learners.
Metacognition in Practice newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/metacognition-in-practice-6933076332687888384/